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Volume 15 Issue 10 > SEPTEMBER 29 — OCTOBER 26
Sunny, rain and snow,cool
ENTRANCE ISSUES >> Page 2
JAMAICAN BEATS LAND IN KAMLOOPS
>> Municipality hears opinions at public meeting
>> Page 10
Gary Geissinger and Laura Dickinson proudly pose in the recently refurbished top unit of their property on Sunburst Drive where they hope to offer nightly guests an opportunity to enjoy the space and resort as they do themselves. | PHOTO SPIN
Community calls for balance regarding short-term rentals by SUN PEAKS NEWS
When Gary Geissinger and Laura Dickinson visited Sun Peaks from the Lower Mainland in February 2016 they fell in love with the resort and the community. So much so, they decided their long term goal was to retire in the mountain town. After purchasing a property on Fairways Dr. with family in Sept. 2016, and legally renting it out to visitors when they weren’t using it themselves, STREET
REZONED
they purchased their own investment property on Sunburst Dr. with the deposit accepted in May and possession on July 21. When they began the process of legally rezoning the property to allow short-term rentals, they were shocked to learn a moratorium had been issued by the municipality on July 4. “My jaw dropped,” said Gessinger, speaking from the recently refurbished kitchen. “I was in shock. What does this mean?” Like many properties in Sun
INSTREAM
TOTAL LOTS
PERCENT
FAIRWAYS
9
1
68
13
SUNBURST
9
3
38
23
LOOKOUT RIDGE
4
1
45
8
MOUNTAIN VIEW
2
1
45
4
SUNDANCE
8
0
50
16
Peaks, the house had been used as a short-term rental for years, operating in a grey area before the launch of “spot zoning” to RS-1A in 2014. The couple bought with the assumption that rezoning would be a simple matter of filing the correct paperwork and proving they met requirements. There was no reason to think otherwise as 40 applications had been processed so far, with 32 granted, six currently being processed and two granted temporary use permits. Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) said they issued the moratorium in response to a growing number of complaints regarding spot zoning and the process around it, stating it needed to be halted while a solution was found. “It became apparent to us it wasn’t working anymore,” said chief administrative officer Rob Bremner to a packed public
meeting on Sept. 16. Things have changed; the community’s population has almost doubled since 2012, meaning more neighbourhoods have larger numbers of permanent residents. At the same time, the number of tourists has also increased, creating a strain on existing housing inventory and exacerbating short-term rental issues as well as an employee housing crisis. People on both sides called for balance between the need for short-term rentals to fuel the village economy while not infringing on rights of residential owners. Geissinger and Dickinson were there to share their story. “I’m in a very uncertain financial situation,” he told the room, stating they had invested close to $1 million on their newest property and were now facing potential financial hardship. Among other voices, several property owners in Lookout Ridge raised a separate concern. They purchased lots in a residentially zoned area built for single family homes to be away from the busy tourist areas, but because of the spot zoning have had to deal with neighbouring short-term rentals and the issues that come along with them, such as noise and parking problems.
TIMELINE PRIOR 2010 | Short-term rentals existed with no enforced regulation. SPRING 2010 | Thompson Nicola Regional District sent cease and desist letter to those known to be renting short-term as their legal opinion was they were not permitted in residential zones. Letters were not enforced as the new municipality was set to be incorporated. JUNE 2010 | Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality was incorporated and inherited zoning jurisdiction. 2011 | An estimated 35 chalets rented short-term in Sun Peaks. 2011 TO 2013 | Municipality conducted approximately two years of public consultation. 2012 | SPMRM engaged Whistler Centre for Sustainability to research short-term rental options and produce a study. 2014 | Launched spot rezoning process based on ability for opinions to be brought forward on merits of each application. 2015 TO 2017 | Municipality heard and processed applications for 40 properties to be rezoned.
“(Under the current rules) all undeveloped land on Lookout Ridge could all be nightly rentals,” said property owner Maureen Walker. continued on next page
Vol 15 Issue 10 September 29 — October 26
sunpeaksnews.com
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